How To Give Your Closet A Spring Clean

LOVE OR MONEY by Emily Tong wearing ruffle wrap skirt reformation tank top and anthropologie bag

There’s something about Spring that makes you want to start fresh, no? Maybe it’s time to check back in with your new years resolutions – chances are since the turn of the year, you may have gotten a bit off course and are in need of a little reset. It happens. Time to purge your life of some unnecessary crap, get organized, and re-motivate. I’ve talked a lot on my blog about how I clean out my closet about twice a year to make room for new styles and to let go of clutter, and today I’m sharing 5 easy tips on how to give your closet a major spring clean – to make way for fresh new energy (but more importantly, new shoes).

1. Pre-Plan
Spend some time scrolling through Pinterest, Instagram, or wherever you get your style inspiration from. Take an audit of what you’re already working with, and the pieces that you’re missing for the season at hand. This will give you a better idea of what to shop for when you’re looking for new items, and will help you avoid pointless, compulsive purchases. The result is a much more streamlined capsule wardrobe – full of things you actually wear.

2. Dedicate A Sunday Afternoon
Depending on the size of your closet, you’ll need ample time to audit, separate, reorganize and clean. Put it on your calendar. I find it’s better to get it all done in one shot, rather than have it as an ongoing project (which often unleashes clutter onto the rest of your home for an extended period of time. No thanks).

3. Buy Organizational Supplies
If you don’t have the closet capacity to install nice shelving units – shoe racks (both over the door and for the floor), hanging cubbies, plastic containers and velvet hangers are lifesavers for saving space and decreasing clutter. Store seasonal items in the plastic containers when they’re not being used (i.e. heavy sweaters during summer, these ones are thin enough to go under your bed). Thinner hangers like these save tons of space and look much better too.

4. The Two Year Rule: Be Merciless
Time to not be a hoarder. You can do this! If you haven’t looked at it, thought about it, much less worn it in 2 years or more – it’s time to say goodbye. Unless it holds some sort of sentimental value, or you just so happen to be planning a ski trip over the next few months that that jacket is completely necessary for, be realistic. With the fast-paced nature of fashion today, if you haven’t worn it in 2 years, you probably never will.

5. Donate Or Sell
The great part is, if you end up with a giant pile of stuff you don’t want – it doesn’t have to go to waste. If you need to recover some of the cash you spent on said pile, try apps like Poshmark and Depop, or even take them to your local consignment shop. Sites like The RealReal will take more expensive, designer goods off your hands. If this isn’t a worry for you, donating your items to a local thrift store will make you feel good, knowing your unwanted stuff will go to someone who will need and use them.

Happy purging!

LOVE OR MONEY by Emily Tong wearing ruffle wrap skirt reformation tank top and anthropologie bag